


Before the Storm

by adumbledore



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Marauders, Marauders Era (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-08
Updated: 2020-03-04
Packaged: 2020-11-27 07:15:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 18,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20944430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/adumbledore/pseuds/adumbledore
Summary: The original Order of the Phoenix became a tragedy. But before that, they lived.Lily Evans, the Marauders, and James Potter's twin sister are off to Hogwarts. They navigate pranks, bullying, lessons, fights, and a brewing war that threatens to annihilate life as they know it.Jess Potter: Auror, Hogwarts graduate, honorary Marauder (part-time), frequent Marauders' victim (full-time).





	1. September 1, 1972

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! I wrote the first eleven chapters of this fic when I was fourteen and just found it again. I read it through and decided I want to write more, and if I'm writing more then why not publish it? I did go through and do some editing, but don't judge me too hard, because again, I was fourteen.

CHAPTER 1: SEPTEMBER 1, 1972  
FIRST YEAR  
The Hogwarts letters came as no surprise. They were there like clockwork, sometime early in the morning on Jess and James’ eleventh birthday. When they had walked down the stairs to eat the birthday breakfast their house elf had prepared, there had been a letter on each of their plates. Diagon Alley had been exciting-getting Hogwarts robes and owls and their very first wands. But it hadn’t been unexpected. The first surprise came during the Sorting Ceremony. Jess was a hatstall.  
  
When “Potter, James” had been called, the Hat had barely touched his head before shouting out a resounding “GRYFFINDOR!”. James had merrily hopped off the stool and rushed past his sister to sit next to Sirius Black at the Gryffindor table. When McGonagall called “Potter, Jess” immediately thereafter, she had been prepared for the same response. But instead, the hat spoke only to her.  
  
_Hmmm…. Interesting. You’ve got a brilliant mind, but you’re no Ravenclaw. I could see you in Hufflepuff, maybe. You’re a hardworker, you’ve got a strong moral code. But I wouldn’t call you kind, and you’re certainly not patient. You’re the opposite. You’re restless, you’re reckless, you don’t think before you act. You’d fit in in Gryffindor-_ ‘YES!’ thought Jess, but the hat laughed to her_-don’t get ahead of yourself. You’d fit in, but would it serve you? What lies underneath it all; the hard work, the impatience, the intelligence? Your ambition. It felt to Jess as if the Hat was smiling. You want to be great. You want to change the world. You want to be remembered forever. Oh yes. I know where to put you…_  
  
Jess had been on the stool for just under five minutes-the mark that makes a hatstall. As she had been sitting there, whispers had slowly flooded the great hall, students getting bored and talking to their friends, eventually turning the conversation back to her-why was she taking so long? What was wrong with her? The hat finally opened its mouth.  
  
“S-”  
  
“NO!” Jess shouted, and the great hall was silenced. She flung her eyes open to see every single student in Hogwarts fixated on her, astonished. _No? What makes you qualified to choose your house over me?_ She screwed her eyes shut again. ‘I am not a Slytherin. You said I’d fit in in Gryffindor. Put me there.’_ It’s not your choice to make._ Now, the Hat sounded angry. ‘Please’ she thought. ‘Please. There’s a war. You know that. It’s just started now but it’s getting worse. It’s gonna keep getting worse. I’m not a Slytherin. I won’t be’. The hat was silent for a long time. When it finally responded, it sounded almost soft, sympathetic for a child terrified of a brewing war. _There’s that Gryffindor stubbornness._  
  
“GRYFFINDOR!” She walked numbly down to the table, horrified at the fact that somehow she wasn’t actually a Gryffindor, but a Slytherin. She had picked Gryffindor, but the Hat, the omniscient, brilliant, ancient Sorting Hat which had sorted every witch and wizard to walk Hogwarts’ halls for thousands of years, had said she was a Slytherin. She was a Slytherin in Gryffindor House.  
  
As the sorting continued, James attempted to tease her about being a hatstall, but seeing as none of his jokes elicited a reaction, he soon gave up, immersed in a conversation with Sirius Black.  
  
As the feast drew to a close, she heard a prefect calling-  
  
“First years! Gryffindor first years over here please! First years!” They followed the sound of his voice, and he introduced himself as Michael Oordvitch. He led them through twisting corridors and up countless moving staircases. The staircases moved. She already knew that, but it had just hit her now how absolutely awful it was going to be to navigate this place.  
  
Finally, they arrived at an odd, inconspicuous painting in the wall.  
  
“What’s the password?” She asked.  
  
“Yquellia Master” Michael Oordvitch said. The painting swung open and they climbed through, into the Gryffindor common room. It was warm, with a blazing fire and an uncountable amount of huge, squishy-looking armchairs. Decked out in red and gold, the whole thing had a regal air to it. Jess immediately felt at home. They congregated just inside the portrait-hole, to the interested gazes of the rest of Gryffindor.  
  
“Now,” Michael said sternly. “We are trusting you, nine eleven year olds that we’ve never met before, with some of the greatest secrets of Gryffindor, secrets that have been closely guarded by the hundreds of thousands of students that have passed through these halls. We expect the same from you. The first is the location of the common room, and more importantly, how to get into it. Everyone knows that we live at the top of Gryffindor Tower. It is named for us, after all. But they don’t know what floor we get in from, or where the door is. You are going to keep it that way. You are never to bring any of your non-Gryffindor friends anywhere near this common room. You have never been to this part of the castle before. If they find you here, you are lost. Give no indication whatsoever that you go through a portrait to get to the common room. Are we clear?” They muttered their assent. “The rest of the secrets of Gryffindor will be revealed to you as time passes. Now then, welcome to Gryffindor! You have had the good fortune to be sorted into the best house in Hogwarts! Girls, if you’ll follow Brynn Johnson, another prefect, to your dormitory. Boys, if you’ll please come with me.”  
  
The boys followed Michael up a staircase, and an older student smiled at the girls.  
  
“Welcome. I’m Brynn. The girl’s dormitories are just up here, if you’ll come up this way.” They followed her up a wooden staircase that curved so that they were behind the wall and out of sight, then spiralled up. Jess felt vaguely claustrophobic as she walked up. And then, at the top of the staircase, there was a door with a silver handle and the Gryffindor crest emblazoned on it. Brynn smiled at them. “I’m going to open the spell, and then each of you is going to need to come up, and place your hand on the crest.” The looked confusedly at one another. She removed her Prefect’s pin, and pressed it into the centre. The door absorbed it, but she didn’t seem concerned. Marlene walked up to the door and pressed her hand against it. “Now say your name.”  
“Marlene Mckinnon”  
  
“Remove your hand.” She did so. “Good.” One after another, the first years filed up and pressed their hands against the crest.  
  
“Lily Evans”  
  
“Kaelie Toren”  
  
“Jess Potter”  
  
“Sofia Arlin”  
  
“Complete” Brynn told the door, and it returned her pin. She opened the door and beckoned for them to go in before her. It was a large, circular room full of couches and armchairs with eight doors, including the one they had just gone through. Everyone sat down.  
  
“This,” She told them, is the Girls’ Common Room. The boys don’t have one of these. It’s not used very often, mainly we just use the main Common Room. Usually, if we say the Common Room, we mean the main one, and if we mean this one, we say the Girl’s Common Room. No boys up here. I think the Founders didn’t think teenage boys were very trustworthy. There have been incidents in the past… And besides, our dormitories are much nicer than theirs, and we wouldn’t want them knowing that, would we? Now school rules also say that we’re not allowed in their dorms, but nobody really follows them. Just don’t let me catch you” She winked. “Besides, there’s no magic that says we can’t go in there. Just a rule, Whereas for the boys, if they set foot on the staircase it turns into a slide. And even if they make it up the staircase, the door won’t open. That’s why you had to register your hands. Now, for the first month or so, it’ll be quite frustrating because the door won’t open for you right away, but after those few weeks it’ll get used to you and open up no problem, just like a normal door.” She gestured to a doorway behind her, with a little sign that said ‘First-Years’. “This is your room for the next seven years. Just head on in and find your bed. All your trunks are already in there.” We filed into the room. “If you ever need anything, just ask a Prefect.” And then Brynn left.  
  
They all drifted into sleep almost immediately. They had a big day tomorrow… their first ever classes at Hogwarts.


	2. Matchsticks and Broomsticks

**CHAPTER TWO: MATCHSTICKS AND BROOMSTICKS**

**FIRST YEAR**

Jess, James, and Kaelie Toren struggled their way down to breakfast in the Great Hall the next morning. The way Kaelie acted around James was very odd; she would blush a deep shade of red when he addressed her directly and seemed to be getting very desperate to make him laugh. Jess simply couldn’t understand it. 

There were no empty seats next to the other first years at the Gryffindor table, so the three of them sat next to a group of third years. Breakfast was absolutely delicious, but the best part of it was when one of the third years, who had introduced himself as Frank Longbottom, handed them their schedules. The first class was potions. Brilliant! Potters were potioneers, in the same way that McKinnons were Quidditch players or Ollivanders were wandmakers. Fleamont Potter, their father, was particularly famous for his hair potions. He had nearly doubled the family fortune selling them. Felix felicis and the Draught of Living Death (both invented by Potters!) were all well and good, but they didn’t sell. Keeping your hair under control? Now that  _ sold _ . And the best part was that James was an idiot at potions.

Well, that was going a bit far. James was actually quite a good potion maker. He was, after all, a Potter. Jess was just better. People said that Jess had ‘a great talent for potions’. People said that James was, and this was a direct quote, ‘good’.

The days swept by, and suddenly they had at least a basic comprehension of where their classes were in the maze of the castle. While Jess was good at potions, her favourite class quickly became transfiguration. James was brilliant at it, which annoyed her to no ends, since she liked it so much. By the end of their first class, the only one who had been able to turn their matchstick into a needle had been James, and he had gotten 10 points for it. He was the first Gryffindor first year to earn points, and a couple of upper year students had clapped him on the back and told him to keep it up.

Infuriated, Jess spent every waking moment practicing the spell, over and over and over until she couldn’t possibly get it wrong. When they showed up for double transfiguration on Thursday, she knocked James out of the park. While he could only successfully cast the spell every once and while, she got it every time without fail. McGonagall awarded Gryffindor fifteen points and told her with a rare smile that she had high hopes for her future in transfiguration. Jess had sauntered back to her desk with a grin at James, but when he (and all three of his goons) glared back at her, she had a sudden feeling of trepidation.

Long before they were as closely knit as they would become, long before they were known as the Marauders, before they became animagus or created the Marauders’ Map, the Marauders performed their first prank. In later years, they would call it a turning point, and credit Jess as the Marauders’ founder. It was not a title she ever wanted, or called herself, or wanted to call herself. 

Friday morning, the day after their second Transfiguration lesson, Jess awoke to Marlene’s shriek. 

“Jess!” she howled. “What happened to your hair?” In first year, her black hair fell only to her shoulders. Now, it was a glowing bubblegum pink. She pulled a strand in front of her eyes, and then sighed.

“James”.

The first thing she knew is that he would’ve used their dad’s hair dye, which meant it had at least two charms in it, an Everlasting and a Permanency charm. Everlasting simply meant it would never fade, and as her hair grew it would grow pink. The Permanency was more concerning: it would be irremovable as long as the charm lasted. Knowing James, he wouldn’t have used a dye that lasted less than a month. She shook her head. It was completely uncalled for. 

But she didn’t have to give them the satisfaction of a reaction. If she was going to have pink hair, she was going to rock it.

“Everyone pretend it was my choice to dye it. Around my brother and his idiots, this was preplanned and completely normal”.

Lily and Jess walked casually down to the Great Hall and sat down next to Sirius, across from James and Peter. She was well aware that the flourescent hair, which was actually emitting a soft pink glow, was attracting a lot of attention. 

“Morning, boys.” She said cheerfully. “Pass the pumpkin juice please”. They gawked at her, and Sirius wordlessly passed her a pitcher. She glanced at them nonchalantly. “What?”

“Nice hair” Sirius said.

“Thanks! Marlene’s not a fan, but I think it suits me.” She fluffed the curls a bit. “Don’t you?”  
“Definitely” James responded, and she smiled at him and began loading her plate with eggs.

“Jess?” Marlene said in a strange voice on Sunday, as the two struggled to open the door to the Girls’ Common Room. “How did your brother get into the dorm in the first place? I mean, the door won’t even open for us!” We stared at each other as the door finally clicked open.

“I… don’t know”

“Reckon we ought to ask Brynn?” They knocked on the sixth year’s dorm, and Brynn came out to talk to them.

“We have a question…” Jess started nervously, then drifted off.

“Is there any way for the boys to get into our dorms?” Marlene cut in.

“No…”  
“You’re sure? Like, you’re absolutely, 100% sure there’s _no _way for them to get in?”  
“I’m sure. What’s this about?”

“Well, a few nights ago, Jess’ hair got dyed”. Brynn grinned.

“I noticed. Bold choice, by the way”.

“Well… It wasn’t really my choice. It was my brother and his friends, they dyed it as a prank, overnight. But how did they do it then?”

“You’re sure it was them?”

“Definitely.”

“First years don’t know advanced enough magic to be able to do it from the common room, especially first years four days into their classes. Somebody had to have done it for them.” They thanked her, and she retreated back into her dorm

“Who d’you reckon dyed your hair?” Jess laughed, not very amusedly.

“Who’s the one girl in the year who would literally do anything my brother asked her?”

“Kaelie.”

“Exactly. Now let’s go find her.” They headed into their own dorm, where she was lying on her bed, reading a book.

“Hey Kaelie” Marlene said coolly. Jess was really starting to like Marlene. They always seemed to be thinking the same thing. They were like two halves of one person. And as a twin, Jess hated being called a half of anything. So to describe them as that, you knew she was for real.

“You wouldn’t happen to know who dyed my hair, do you?”

“I thought you said the boys did it”

“That’s what I thought too.” Her eyes flashed guiltily.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about”

“Careful, Kaelie” Marlene interjected. “You wouldn’t want people calling you a liar, as well as a prat”

“Ok fine, I did it!” She cried, wringing her hands. “And I wasn’t trying to be mean to you Jess, I swear, but they asked me and I had to!”

“Had to? Why did you have to?”

“I… I just did!” 

“Well I thought we were friends. I guess we’re not, if you’re willing to just turn on me at the first word of some boy you barely know. You are such a… a bitch!” Kaelie stared at Jess, and Jess stared back. Kaelie turned and fled the room. 

“Next time something bad happens to any of us, we know where to look!” Marlene called as she was retreating, and Jess sat down on the bed, shocked.

“What?” Marlene asked.

“I can’t believe I called her that!”

“Called her what? A bitch? Why?”

“Because you can’t just say that to someone!”  
“You can if it’s accurate!” There was a brief silence. “Look, relax. It’s fine. Justin calls me a bitch all the time, and we’re still chill”. Jess turned up to stare at her.

“Your brother calls you a bitch?”

“Your brother manipulated a girl who likes him into permanently dying your hair, one of these things is worse than the other”.

They spent the rest of the day out by the lake, laughing with Alice and Mary, a couple of second year Gryffindors. Lily was nearby, but talking with that Snape kid, and none of the other Gryffindors cared to tolerate him. In late afternoon, Alice and Mary drifted off to the rest of the second years, and in early evening James, Sirius, Peter and Remus showed up nearby. In an instant, Jess was standing.

“JAMES FLEAMONT POTTER!” She charged over. “Stop trying to turn my dormmates against me!” She wacked him with the sleeve of her robe, which was too long. “And don’t use girls who like you to do bad things!” He grinned at her.

“I have no idea what you’re saying here” She hit him with her hand this time.

“You know exactly what I’m talking about, you great git!” She opened her mouth to yell a bit more, but was cut off by a monotone, drawling voice.

“Well… quite the scene you two are causing”. They wheeled around, shoulder to shoulder, united once more, to face fifth year Slytherin Lucius Malfoy.

“What’s it to you?” James asked brashly.

“Nothing. I’m here for  _ him _ ” Malfoy jerked his head at Sirius. “Your cousin wants to talk to you” Sixth year Bellatrix Black grabbed Sirius’ elbow and dragged him away, but they weren’t quite out of earshot. 

“Hello, Bella” Sirius said dully.

“Sirius Black! Do you have any ideawho you’re associating yourself with? Mudbloods and filth! The Potters are a long line of blood traitors and if that McKinnon girl is anything like her older brother she’s a Muggle lover as well. If you had any sense at all you’d realize the shame you’re bringing upon your family! I can’t walk with my head up in the hallways anymore, with you running around all over the place with_ them_.”  
“Well, Bellatrix, keep looking down. Because they’re my friends” Sirius turned on his heel and walked away. It took Bellatrix a moment to digest what he had said.

“SIRIUS BLACK” she screamed, but he just kept walking. 

Their first flying lesson was at 3:30 that Wednesday. They walked down to the Quidditch pitch, where they were greeted by their flying instructor, Mr. Reynolds. Unfortunately, they had flying with Slytherin.

“I want all of you to line up behind a broom.” Jess looked down at the brooms in dismay. They were old Silver Arrows, incomparable with her own Nimbus 1001 at home. Next year, they would be allowed to bring our own brooms, and all of a sudden she was dying to be in second year. “Now, hold out your hand, and say Up. Firmly.” She held out my hand.

“Up” The broom soared up to meet her hand. Brooms connected with Marlene, James, and Aiden Colly’s hands as well. Everyone else’s didn’t move. After a long time, and much persuasion, everyone was holding their brooms. They mounted their brooms, and Jess couldn’t wait to get up and flying. She loved Quidditch; it was her entire life. She and James had had spent several hours daily of their childhoods up in the air on their broomsticks. They played one-on-one Quidditch, which wasn’t really Quidditch at all. But when their cousins or friends came over, they played huge Quidditch tournaments. She wasn’t quite as good as James, but they were almost evenly matched. But she was sorely disappointed by their first flying lesson, where they just hovered in the air for a bit, and then practiced basic broom maneuvers. 


	3. Deck the Halls

**CHAPTER THREE: DECK THE HALLS**

**FIRST YEAR**

Winter swept into Hogwarts seemingly overnight. The first cascade of snowflakes dusted the turrets.. A brittle quietness absorbed the rumblings of the castle, and Jess enjoyed going outdoors and sitting in the silence of the ice-kissed world. Hogwarts had not turned dark in the coldness, but come alive. The aroma of evergreens was always just barely out of reach, and the glacial temperatures of the hallways and classrooms was merely compensated for with warm cloaks. The halls were decorated with ornate tassels of holly, fairy lights, and of course, mistletoe. But they were nothing compared the wondrousness of the Great Hall, and it was that that almost convinced Jess to stay at the castle for Christmas. 

For the last few weeks of term, the first years were restless, constantly on the edge of their seats. In the last days, Professor Slughorn let them try to create holiday potions, which were entirely above their skill level and turned out overwhelmingly badly. On the last day, Flitwick allowed them to play games in his class, as did Professor Ono in Herbology. Professor Binns, however, just kept droning on and on and on. Jess fell asleep three times in a History of Magic, just in that last week.

Finally,  _ finally _ , it was time to get on the train and go home. Lily sat with that awful Severus Snape, though her fellow Gryffindors asked her time and time again why she bothered with him. That left the rest of the first year girls in a compartment playing Exploding Snap, which Sofia dominated at. Marlene and Jess attempted to play chess, but gave up quickly once Marlene showed her complete ineptness. 

As they unboarded the Hogwarts Express, James was staring frightenedly at Jess’ glowing pink hair. Neither had written home to inform their parents of the change, and it seemed to have just hit James that their mum was going to kill him.

“I’m so dead” he muttered, and his twin smiled benignly. They told their friends goodbye, and then walked over to their waiting parents. Euphemia Potter looked awestruck. Fleamont was grinning. They hugged their children, and then each took one by the arm, and the family Apparated home. 

“Jess,” her mother said quietly. “What happened to your hair?”

Oh, this?” She said cheerfully, “That was James. I was better at Transfiguration than him and he wanted to get revenge.”

“That is  _ not  _ what happened!” James spluttered. “I-well-yes it was. But I was the best in the class and then she practiced that stupid spell so much and she made me look really bad! And McGonagall gave her a bunch of points and she’s her favourite now and I was mad!” Dad was smiling and shaking his head, but mum looked incredibly angry.

“James Potter!” After her very long lecture, James came slinking upstairs, and Jess laughed at him ecstatically. 

“It’s not funny” he grumbled.

“Yes it is.” Downstairs, they could vaguely hear their mum scolding their dad.

“Don’t you dare give either of them any more of your potions, Fleamont. Don’t you dare.”

Christmas morning came quickly, and Jess was not disappointed. Her favourite gift was a tiny black kitten, which she named Excalibur.The Christmas holidays passed without event, just many cold afternoons spent in snowball fights, and many evenings drinking hot chocolate by the fire. Potter Manor, for all its’ splendor, was not very warm in the winter. The windows rattled and shook, and a breeze that would chill you to the bones constantly swept the hallways. The evenings were Jess’ favourite time, all four of them shut up in the sitting room with a blazing fire, defrosting from the day. Some nights they would sit in silence, as the twins read, wrote letters, or did schoolwork, and their parents finished up on the day’s work. They just sat contentedly, until the very last ember burned out. Other nights, they would pull out a board game and have the time of their lives, playing and laughing. It was almost sad to return to Hogwarts in January.

But before they left, their dad slipped them each several bottles of his potions.

“Just try not to use them on each other this time” They smiled and hugged their parents, and then boarded the Hogwarts express, steaming away from them.

In February, Gryffindor played Quidditch for the first time that year. In November, they had narrowly beaten Slytherin, and now were up against Ravenclaw. Ravenclaw was well known for having pretty much the best team in the school. Gryffindor’s team consisted of Frank Longbottom, the Keeper, Brynn, the Seeker, Maia Ailo, fourth year, Chaser. Gregory Nallin and Alex Sonkill, sixth and seventh years, respectively, also Chasers, second year Benjy Fenwick, Beater, and sixth year Charles Smith, Beater and Captain. 

Despite the cold weather, most of the school showed up to the match. Slytherin was cheering for Ravenclaw, because if they beat Gryffindor but lost to Slytherin, Slytherin would be back in the running. Hufflepuff had lost to Ravenclaw, so they were cheering for Gryffindor for the same reasons Slytherin was cheering for Ravenclaw. 

Marlene and Jess sat with James, Remus and Peter. Sirius had managed to get himself detention, and no one was really sure where Lily was. Sofia and Kaelie had gone to sit with some of their friends in Ravenclaw, which the other first years considered a huge betrayal, since they were playing them. 

A couple fourth year boys had made two colossal red banners that said ‘GO, GO GRYFFINDOR!’ in gold letters at the top that were probably the same size as Jess. Beneath it, they had depicted a ferocious-looking lion eating a distressed eagle. The lion looked huge and majestic. The eagle looked, well, weak. They had bewitched them to float above the crowd behind each goal post, to cheer on the gryffindor Chasers when they tried to score goals, and to distract the Ravenclaw ones. The match was a close one, and lasted nearly three hours. Partway through, Jess lost her voice from chanting  _ go go gryffindor  _ for so long. Then finally, at points 110 for us and 100 for Ravenclaw, the Seekers went into a dive.

“I hope he falls off his broom” Marlene muttered. Her older brother Justin was Ravenclaw seeker, and we needed this win if we were to have a chance at the Cup. The chants that had swept up the stands dissolved, everyone just screaming for their House’s seeker. 

“Come on Brynn, Come on!” Everyone was screaming, including her teammates. Every other player had abandoned the game, staring at the Seekers. The commentator was a sixth year Slytherin boy, who was very clearly biased towards Ravenclaw.

“And the seekers are after the Snitch! Remember, folks, catching the Golden Snitch awards your team 150 points and ends the game! It’s Johnson and McKinnon, neck in neck, come on McKinnon, faster, a little faster! And-yes! I don’t believe it! Justin McKinnon has caught the snitch! Ravenclaw wins, 250 to 110!” Brynn was a good seeker. This was, after all, her fifth year on the team, and Gryffindor had won the Quidditch Cup for three of them. But Justin had the better broom, and besides, he was a McKinnon. He seemed destined to be an international Quidditch star.

Brynn was desolate for a few weeks, even though no one blamed her. She was incredibly embarrassed that a thirteen year old had beaten her. Justin wasn’t insufferable at all, in the way that Marlene would have been. He was one of the most genuinely nice blokes that I had ever met. Though he bickered with Marlene and was quick with comebacks and wit, he just wasn’t mean-spirited in anyway. He congratulated Brynn immediately after the match, often let opposing Quidditch players try out his broom after matches or helped out Seekers on other teams if they wanted to learn a move that he had used. He was very competitive, but he confined his competitivity to within the length of a Quidditch game, and before or after, they were not his opponents, but his friends. 

Somewhere around mid-March, the winds got a little less frigid, the fires a little less bright. Spring was in the air, and the snow turned to slush and melted away underfoot. Life was breathed back into the world, bit by bit, until suddenly the grounds were a canvas blurred with pastel colours. Trees were touched by sunshine once more, and tiny buds began to burst out from their branches. There was a buzz in the air, marked by lively, sun-drenched times outdoors. But spring wasn’t all sunshine and butterflies. They were haunted by exams, looming overhead, knowing that each day it got warmer was a step towards them. When it rained, it poured, and they spent many long afternoons indoors listening to the torrential rains outdoors, slamming onto the rooftops. It seemed, for the most part, much darker and gloomier than winter had been.


	4. Snivellus Snape

**CHAPTER FOUR: SNIVELLUS SNAPE**

**FIRST YEAR**

Jess had never before appreciated how genetically blessed she and James were until exams rolled around. All year, they had been struggling against each other to be the golden twin, top of the class, not ever realizing that people were fighting just to be in the running. While other students spent hours practicing spells, they could perform them with just a lazy flick of the wand. Jess could memorize History of Magic facts just as easily as walking, and Herbology came so naturally to James it was laughable.

Despite this, they both spent nearly as many hours in the library as did the fifth years studying for their O.W.L.s, simply because they each wanted to beat out the other. It thoroughly pleased Lily and Remus, giving each of them one less person to nag about exams. Although both were very bright (smarter than the Potters, it might even have been argued, although Lily was the only party involved who would admit it), but spellwork simply didn’t come as naturally.

Kaelie, on the other hand, was neither very bright nor a very good witch. Jess and Marlene often cruelly speculated that she was barely magical enough to be in Hogwarts, almost a Squib. Or a Muggle, they supposed, since she was Muggleborn. They would whisper, sometimes without bothering to check if she could hear them, that she never should have been accepted. She simply was not a witch. 

They weren’t prejudiced though, (and they made sure everyone heard that while they heard the mean things they were saying about Kaelie), it wasn’t her Muggle heritage that made her not a witch. Lily, for example, was Muggleborn and definitely a witch. It was that Kaelie was still having troubles with spells they had learned in December and January, which the rest of the class had mastered within a few weeks.

Often in the library while they were both studying (because to Kaelie’s credit she did work hard; she was the only other first year in the library as often and Jess and James), Jess caught Kaelie glaring at her, which she didn’t think was fair. Jess could no more help being born gifted at magic than Kaelie could help being born bad at it. Kaelie wasn’t as resentful at the other first years, who at least had to try a bit to get the hang of things, and she fancied James, which left Jess (and sometimes Sirius) as the sole targets of her wrath.

Fortunately, with her lack of magical ability, there wasn’t much she could do but glare and be bitter.

“She’s just angry that she’s a terrible witch” Lily muttered, shaking her head. “Ignore her”

“If you could call her a witch” Marlene added. We left charms and headed down to the lake, where we spent many sunny afternoons surrounded by books. Nearly half an hour later, Marlene looked up.

“Guys… Do you notice the suspicious lack of Gryffindor first years around here?” Jess looked around.

“And Slytherins” Lily went white.

“What day is it?”  
“May 22”

“No, what’s the  _ day _ ?” 

“Wednesday” Marlene told her. “Wh-” She only got halfway through her word.

“ _ Flying _ !” They all said at once, throwing their books into their bags and running at full speed to the Quidditch pitch. They arrived, and everyone was already up in the air.

“Nice of you to join us. Five points from Gryffindor for each of you.” Mr. Reynolds said coolly. They stammered their apologies and then joined the rest of the class in the air. “Now, today we’ll be playing nine-on-nine Quidditch. An extra Keeper and an extra Chaser. How about Slytherin versus Gryffindor, some friendly inter-house competition? And let me see… twenty points to the winning house?” One Slytherin girl never participated in flying, as she was injured, so the two House’s numbers matched. It was determined that Marlene was to play Seeker. She  _ always  _ played Seeker-she was brilliant at it. James, Kaelie, Remus, and Jess were Chasers. Sirius and Lily played Beaters. As tiny as Lily was, she was a surprisingly good Beater. That left Peter and Sofia as our Keepers.

James and Jess were both good Chasers, but more importantly, they were perfectly in sync. 10 years of playing together had given them a perfect intuition, knowing the other’s move before they themselves even knew it. They tried to be fair, and pass to Kaelie and Remus, but in the end it was mainly just the two of them, as always.

Kaelie was trying her hardest to throw Jess off balance. She would throw the Quaffle as hard as she could to knock her off her broom. A couple of times, she was almost successful. But Jess had been flying for as long as she could remember. It took a bludger to make her lose contact with her broom, or two of her cousins, shoving her from both sides.

Or in this case, two Slytherins. Mulciber and Avery closed in on either side of her, trying to shove her off. In most cases, she would have simply pulled up or dived, getting herself out of their attack. But the old Silver Arrow wasn’t manouverable enough for that. Everytime she tried to change course, it was slow enough that the Slytherins were able to follow suit. She was holding on pretty well, all things considered, until Severus Snape, a Slytherin beater, took the opportunity to send a bludger in her direction. Unable to see it coming from behind her, and unable to move out of the way even if she had seen it, Jess was a sitting duck. 

Later, all she would remember was a searing pain, someone yelling, and then everything going black.

The class was in chaos as they touched to the ground. Jess had just fallen at least twenty feet; Mr. Reynolds had swooped down to try and catch her but hadn’t made it in time. (‘Fucking school brooms’ some students insisted they heard him mutter under his breath). Without a moments’ look at the rest of the students, Mr. Reynolds levitated Jess and flew away with her, off to the hospital wing. Lily was screaming her head off at Snape, and James, Remus, Sirius, Marlene, and Sofia all had their wands out. Peter hastily pulled his out as well, though he stayed behind the other five, and Kaelie reluctantly did so as well, once she saw the blood on the grass where Jess had landed.

If Remus could pinpoint the exact time where he and his friends really started to hate Severus Snape, it would be this. Standing there, eyes ablaze, wands drawn. In that moment, he really,  _ really  _ hated him. Before, he had just been another annoying Slytherin boy. A minor nuisance. Now, he was important. Now, he was worth hatred.

“Stop it, all of you!” McGonagall was storming out onto the pitch. “I know you’re all upset about your friend, and with good reason, but  _ put your wands away _ ”. Everyone hastily stowed their wands, except James, who lowered his, but kept it in a firm grip. “ _ Now _ , Potter”. Scowling, he put it in his pocket, and she turned to the Slytherins.“How dare you? Such a display of unprovoked violence I have never seen, in all my years at Hogwarts! I am absolutely disgusted with the lot of you! This is incredible! This is not Inter-House Quidditch! And even in the Quidditch Cup this would be punished. She didn’t have the Quaffle, and even if she did, you were aiming to harm, not advantage your team! Thirty points from Slytherin for each of you, Mulciber and Avery, and fifty from you, Mr. Snape! Now, normally, the decision of your punishment is made by your Head of House, but seeing as you’ve attacked one of  _ my  _ students-” Her nostrils flared. “-Professor Slughorn has deemed it fit to hand that responsibility over to  _ me _ !” She paused for a moment. “The gravity of her condition will determine the harshness of your punishments. As for you, Snape” She spat his name, “So long as I am a teacher at this school, you will  _ never  _ play Quidditch for Slytherin.” Snape’s face fell, and the Gryffindors felt a collective surge of pleasure. “All of you back to your dormitories.  _ Now.  _ Except for you, Mr. Potter” she added gently. “Come with me.”

We went back and sat in the Common Room, Sirius pacing back and forth and Marlene’s head in her hands. Within minutes, every Gryffindor seemed to know that the pink-haired first year had been hurt by some Slytherins, and they all anxiously awaited some amount of news. Finally, after hours, James walked into the common room. Everyone looked up.

“Critical condition” he said dully. “Probably brain damage. Transferred to St. Mungo's. Miracle if she lives through the night” And then he walked straight through to the dormitories. Gryffindor House stared around each other in silence. 


	5. A Summer at the Potters

**CHAPTER FIVE: A SUMMER AT THE POTTERS**

**FIRST YEAR**

Jess awoke to a blinding light and a pounding headache.

“Hello, dear!” A plump old Healer said cheerfully. “You’ve given us quite a fright, these past few weeks. Almost thought we’d lost you! I’ll floo your parents, then shall I?”

“My head” Jess moaned, closing her eyes.

“Oh dear” the Healer shook her head worriedly, then pulled out a vial. “Drink this. It’ll help the pain”. She monitored Jess taking a few sips, then said to herself, “Got to floo the Potters. Then I need to write to Albus Dumbledore, I do.”  
It was about another week before the Healers of St. Mungo’s deemed Jess fit to leave, under the condition that she return for weekly checkups. She begged and begged her parents to let her return to Hogwarts, and finally, she won out. The Healers agreed she could just as well see Madame Pomfrey as them, and finally, she was Flooed into Professor McGonagall’s office. Since she had missed the last relative month of school, she was excused from exams. Jess thought this was quite a shame, since she had studied so hard for them, and now James was sure to come out top of the class.

There really had been no point in returning to Hogwarts, except that she wanted to see her friends again before the summer holidays. Lily was still not speaking to Snape, which was the one good thing that had come out of her injury, and Jess privately (and by privately she meant talked to Marlene about it) hoped that Lily would never speak to Snape again. Since Jess had lived, Professor McGonagall hadn’t expelled Snape, but he did have detentions once a week until Christmas, which was a plus.

The days swept by, and Jess mainly just helped her friends study. And then-finally-their last exam was finished, and they boarded the Hogwarts Express. As the train pulled into the station, Jess waved goodbye to her friends, promising to write Alice and Lily (and Marlene, but as she had said “that’s a given, if you don’t write me I’ll stop by St. Mungo’s, cause that could be the only explanation”), and made a mental note to ask her parents if Marlene could stay with them at Potter Manor.

Her parents were very worried about her that summer, which probably stemmed from her frequent headaches and nausea. About a week in, the Potters sat at their table eating breakfast, when there was a sudden burst of green flames, and very dusty, disheveled Sirius Black rolled out onto their floor. He stood up.

“Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Potter. I’m Sirius Black. Pleasure to meet you”. The twins burst into laughter at their parents’ astonished expressions.

After the initial shock of him Flooing up unexpectedly, Sirius got along famously with Fleamont and Euphemia. He was polite, the perfect gentleman, always helping around the house and using perfect manners. It was so un-Sirius-like that Jess and James checked him for symptoms of illness on several occasions.

Their mother was so taken by him that she was always cooing on about how they should be more like him. 

“Oh James, why don’t you ever make an effort with that hair of yours? Sirius’ is  _ so  _ lovely. You could do with taking a leaf out of his book!”

“Jess, why don’t you ever help out? Sirius does more than you, and he’s a guest!”

“Now really! Sirius never would have done this!”  
The three of them spent every afternoon playing Quidditch, stopping for tea perfectly brewed by their house elf, Nomly, each afternoon. In early August, Remus, Peter, and Marlene all came to stay, which meant Quidditch got a lot more interesting. Most often, the played Marlene, Remus, and Jess vs. James, Sirius, and Peter. The teams were pretty evenly matched, as Marlene, Jess, and James were all good, Sirius and Peter were both decent, and Remus was absolutely terrible. No one really understood why Remus was so bad at flying. After all, he had grown up in the wizarding world! 

They spent many happy hours up in the sky, but all too soon, the two weeks came to a close. It was just Jess, James, and Sirius for the rest of summer. Jess almost died of boredom once or twice, seeing as James and Sirius rarely wanted her around. There were occasionally random explosions from James’ room, and when she went up to investigate, the door was slammed into her face.

“SIRIUS ORION BLACK!” She banged on the door. “LET ME IN THIS INSTANT, DO YOU HEAR ME?” She paused, wondering what to do. What could she possibly say that would make her git of a brother and his dumb best friend let her in? She briefly considered just pulling out her wand and blasting the door down. The Ministry would never know, but James and Sirius would tell her parents the second she was in the room. Sighing, she leaned against it.

Suddenly, the door clicked open, and she came slamming backwards onto the ground. Sirius hurriedly shut the door. Jess was blinded by the sudden pain. She couldn’t move, she couldn’t talk, she could barely think. Around her, she could hear Sirius and James panicking.

“We gotta call her”

“We can’t call her, what happens when she finds out _we_ did it?”  
“It’s not our fault!”

“That doesn’t matter, we did it!”

“Of course it matters! MUUUUUUUMMMMM!”

“James! No!” Sirius hissed, panicked. Jess could hear the dul thuds of her mother ascending the stairs.

“What is it?” Euphemia asked, creaking the door open. She gasped. “Stay. Here.” She said firmly to the boys, then grabbed Jess arm and Apparated to St. Mungo’s.

“Not again” Jess muttered, opening her eyes to the brightness of the hospital and the same kindly old Healer in her room.

“I’m afraid so, my dear. You were only out for about an hour this time, though. Your parents aren’t here right now, but your brothers are.” Brothers? Last time Jess checked, she only had one brother. She screwed up her eyes and concentrated, but could only come up with James. Weird. Maybe she had some odd kind of memory loss.

“Sorry” She said carefully. “But I’m pretty sure I only have one brother”.

“Well, there are two boys here to see you”. The Healer opened the door, and James and Sirius meekly walked in. Oh, right.

“Well, given I’m back in St. Mungo’s for this, mind telling me what you guys were doing?” They glanced guiltily at each other.

“We were…”

“Er… well, we were…”

“Making some modifications to Zonko’s products”. Jess shook her head.

“You two are idiots”. This time, she was out of the hospital the next day. While she had been gone, their Hogwarts letters had arrived. Jess’ lay on the table, while an irate Euphemia waved the other two at James and Sirius.

“WHAT IS THIS?!” She shrieked. They glanced at each other.

“Er… It’s a Hogwarts letter?”

“Exactly!” She opened it, and began to read in a shrill voice. “Please note that Sirius Black is not allowed to:

  1. Magically glue a beret to the caretaker’s cat’s head.
  2. Challenge Professor McGonagall to a duel at dawn.
  3. Charm people’s hair pink, blue, or green. (note: the use of Fleamont Potter’s potions is also unacceptable)
  4. Perform a ceremonial at dawn for rat intestine, newt tails, raven wings, or any other animal parts used in potions
  5. Reenact the Tales of Beetle the Bard on Hogwarts Grounds
  6. Call Lily Evans “Carrots”
  7. Charm Severus Snape’s robes to be see-through!” She paused, seemingly for dramatic effect. “And the same message on yours, James! Explain yourselves!”

Grinning, Jess grabbed her own letter and read through it. Granted, she had had her fair share of detentions, but apparently she had only broken preexisting school rules, and not required the need for any new ones. She read through the supplies list as she walked upstairs.

_SECOND YEAR STUDENTS WILL REQUIRE:__  
_ _3 Sets of plain work robes (black)_

_ One pointed hat (black) for day wear _

_ One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar) _

_ One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings) _

_ The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2, by Miranda Goshawk _

_ A Practical Guide to Basic Defence Against the Dark Arts by Tom Clarkson _

_ Beginner Potion-Making Level 2 by Libatius Borage _

_ Transfiguration: An Essential Guide by Anna Scortsbury _

_ One wand _

_ One cauldron (Pewter, standard size 2) _

_ One set of glass or crystal phials _

_ One telescope _

_ One set of brass scales _

_ FROM FIRST YEAR: _

_ A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot _

_ Magical Theory by Adabert Waffling _

_ One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllidia Spore _

_ Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander _

_ STUDENTS ALSO HAVE THE OPTION TO BRING AN OWL, CAT OR TOAD _

_ SECOND-YEAR STUDENTS ARE PERMITTED TO BRING THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS. _

She heard Sirius and James creeping up the stairs.

“Bloody lucky that McGonagall didn’t include everything else we’ve done”

“That wasn’t even the half of it! She’d’ve been in a right state!”

“Can’t even imagine if my Mum’d read that letter” Sirius said darkly.


	6. Time Lapse

**CHAPTER SIX: TIME LAPSE**

**SECOND YEAR**

“Miss Potter, a word?”

“Yes, Professor?”

“It says here you’ve signed up for Quidditch tryouts?”

“I have”

“Absolutely not.”

“I’m sorry, Professor?”

“I’ve spoken with your Healers at St. Mungo’s. Two repeat injuries over the summer and still quite a severe condition! I’m sorry, but I just can’t allow you to risk your health on the Quidditch pitch any time soon!”

“But Professor!”

“I take it you’re not going to easily accept that, Miss Potter?”

“No, Professor! It’s not  _ fair _ ! It’s  _ my  _ decision!”

“Not anymore it’s not.”

“PROFESSOR!” I screamed. She looked at me coldly.

“Fine. Then a Quidditch ban it is.”

“A Quidditch ban? You can’t be serious!”

“That will be all.”

  
  


There was only one open position on the team, that of a Chaser who had graduated last 

year. There were two second-years trying out, James and, for some reason, Kaelie Toren. Jess sat bitterly with Marlene and Lily, watching as each hopeful Quidditch player took turns playing with the rest of the Gryffindor team. It wasn’t fair! She was a much better player than most of the people out there, and yet she was sitting in the stands while they got to play. Professor McGonagall, at least, was watching her distaste with what seemed to be a regretful expression on her face. Lily sighed.

“This is stupid. I have charms homework! Why are we out here watching what’s not even a real game?”

“Shut up, Lils” Marlene and Jess said in sync. 

James won his first Quidditch game, and his second. In the match against Ravenclaw, he put them so far ahead that when they caught the Snitch, they only lost by 10 points, one of the closest Quidditch Cups in decades. He and Jess had grown up playing Quidditch together. They were each as good as the other, dreamed of playing professionally together. And here he was, earning his place as one of Hogwarts’ Quidditch greats, the kind of player that they talk about for years after they graduate, and Jess was watching from the sidelines.

Outside of the peaceful enclave of Hogwarts walls, a war had been brewing for three years. They often heard sixth and seventh year Gryffindors talking about how odd it was; how neutral Hogwarts was. They had classmates and even friends that they would be fighting against right after graduation, and yet inside the castle they would laugh and chat with each other, knowing full well that they could and most likely would use the very curses they studied together in the library against each other. One thing was abundantly clear; the students were safe there. There was no war in between classrooms, only innocent pranks and house rivalries. Hogwarts was peaceful. While outside the walls one student’s parents were duelling another, the war did not exist within the castle.

**THIRD YEAR**

Sirius hadn’t stayed for as long that summer, only a few weeks in late July. When they received their Hogwarts letters, James’ list of what he was not allowed to do was much extended.

_ Please note that Mr. James Potter is not allowed to: _

  * __Magically glue a beret to the caretaker’s cat’s head __
  * _Magically glue a beret to the caretaker’s head_
  * _Challenge Professor McGonagall to a duel at dawn_
  * _Charm people’s hair pink, blue, or green (note: the use of Fleamont Potter’s potions to dye hair is also unacceptable)_
  * _Perform a ceremonial burial at dawn for rat intestine, newt tails, raven wings, and all other animal parts used in potions_
  * _Reenact the Tales of Beetle the Bard on Hogwarts Grounds _
  * _Call Lily Evans “Carrots”, “Lilykins” “Spawn of Morgana” “Jesus”_
  * _Charm Severus Snape’s robes to be see-through_
  * _Wear eye patches in commemoration of a recently deceased pirate_
  * _Pay lost bets with Ravenclaws with leprechaun gold_
  * _Turn all desks and chairs away from the front of the classroom for a whole History of Magic lesson just to see if Professor Binns notices anything_
  * _Label ingredients in the Potion’s supply cupboard as “deadly weapons of war”_
  * _Replace the Slytherin dining table’s benches with high chairs_
  * _Call Professor Slughorn “Uncle Slug”_
  * _Serenade the Minister for Magic with an original song while wearing ceremonial dress robes_
  * _Introduce new awards just so that he can present one to Peter Pettigrew just for “being a jolly good, spiffing, awfully excellent gentleman”_
  * _Wear tassels hanging from the tip of his hat and insist that everyone call him “Princess James”_
  * _Hex students who do not call him Princess James or Your Highness, Your Lordship, etc. (see #17)_

“Professor”  
“Potter”

“Could you _please _lift that Quidditch ban? I’m fine now, I _really _am!” She pursed her lips.  
“I happen to know that you’re not. Madame Pomfrey has informed me that you frequently go to her for pain medications.”  
“Whatever happened to patient confidentiality?”

“Well I’m glad to know you’re keeping up with your Muggle Studies at any rate, Miss Potter. For your information, that is a purely Muggle concept.”  
“Well it shouldn’t be!”

“Either way, she says it’s healed enough to let you back onto the Quidditch pitch”  
“Really?”  
“Yes. You may try out for Quidditch now, and return to your flying lessons.”

Sometime in second year, the Permanency charm in Jess’ pink hair dye had worn off, leaving only the Everlasting. That pretty much meant she could change it whenever she wanted, but until she did it would remain as bright and fluorescent as ever. In early September, she decided that it’s effect had worn off. It no longer turned heads in the hallways, it was no longer a talking point or conversation piece for others. If there was one thing Jess loved, it was being the centre of attention, and if this dumb hair didn’t do that anymore, there was no need to keep it.

Standing in front of the mirror, she gave herself one last, long look. It was not very flattering, casting odd pink shadows across her face. She tried to imagine how she’d look with her natural hair, but came up blank. It had been two years since James and his friends had had Kaelie dye Jess’ hair, and her face had changed a lot since then. At the start of first year she had been eleven, and now she was still young, but she wasn’t really a kid anymore. She bore little resemblance to her early first-year self. Taking a deep breath, she performed the charm.

She gasped. The pink melted away into dark curls, leaving a shadowy cloud behind her. Had it always been so  _ dark _ ? She looked older than she had a few moments ago, and maybe she was pretty now too. Well, in any case she was prettier. 

Kaelie tried out for Quidditch again that year, as did Marlene. Gryffindor was missing a Beater, a Chaser, and a Seeker. Kaelie and Jess were both going for the Chaser spot. Marlene was trying out for Seeker. She wasn’t nervous at all before tryouts. After all, she was a  _ McKinnon. _ If there was one thing that family was known for, it was their Quidditch skills. No one had a shadow of a doubt that she was Gryffindor’s next Seeker.

Jess on the other hand, was terrified. She had been on her broom almost every day that summer, but it couldn’t make up for a year-long Quidditch ban. Obviously, she was better than Kaelie. Honestly, Kaelie wasn’t a half-bad player. She just wasn’t House Team level. But Jess had no idea how good anyone else trying out would be. She was out of practice, and she could be completely out of her league. She and James used to be the exact same Quidditch better. Now she knew he was better than her. He was becoming legendary. What would happen if she couldn’t even make the team?

Chaser Maia Ailo was the captain now, in sixth year. Since she had to be watching the candidates, and there was only one other Chaser, James. Two Chasers went at a time, flying with him, and then one of them was eliminated. Kaelie and Jess started together, meaning Jess was guaranteed to be shortlisted. After that, she sat down and watched Marlene with the other potential Seekers. Their tryouts lasted about a minute and a half before Maia blew her whistle. She didn’t announce it, but everyone knew that Marlene was now a team member. 

Then the chasers were back up. Six were called back, and several of them were quite good. Jess twisted easily through the air, pretending that she had never breaked at all, and noticed that she was flying much better than she had been recently. She stopped caring about whether or not I made the team, stopped caring that I was being evaluated, and just  _ played.  _

Despite being much better than Jess now, James and her still hadn’t lost their synchronicity. They knew the other’s move before they could make it. It gave her a huge advantage over all the other contestants, but hey, she noticed as she flew around them, she really was much better than them anyways. 

As per usual, Gryffindor beat Hufflepuff and Slytherin at Quidditch, as did Ravenclaw. This was the same showdown that had happened the last five years. Gryffindor had won two of them. But for the last three years, since Justin Mckinnon had been appointed Seeker, Ravenclaw just kept pulling through. More people showed up this year than the last two, Jess noticed as they trudged onto the pitch. This one was new and exciting. Gryffindor had a new Seeker, and she was  _ very  _ good. 

McKinnons were Quidditch players. Both of her parents were retired professionals, and almost all her cousins currently playing. They were the source of many very not-funny jokes. “What do you call a Hogwarts teacher?” “Professor” “What do you call the leader of the ministry?” “Minister” “What do you call someone who works in the Department of Mysteries?” “An Unspeakable.” “What do you call a professional Quidditch player?” “McKinnon”. Marlene had been invited to the Slug Club by Professor Slughorn on her very first day at Hogwarts. That’s what made this match so interesting that there was even a Daily Prophet reporter there-it was McKinnon vs. McKinnon. 

Gryffindor’s chasers were better than theirs, but, as displayed last year, even if you’re 140 ahead, the Snitch can change everything. Maia was putting a lot of blind faith in Marlene. Obviously she had seen her play and knew that she was putting her team in good hands, but she was just trusting that if anyone could beat Justin to the Snitch, it was another McKinnon. It was an odd strategy. The chasers would play normally. The Keeper, fifth year Frank Longbottom, along with the Beaters, fourth year Benjy Fenwick and fifth year Andrew Markos, new to the team this year, would be watching Justin at all times in addition to their responsibilities. Marlene would just be searching for the Snitch, and try to feint as much as possible so that if she actually saw the Snitch he would think it wasn’t real.

Maia and Justin shook hands, and they all lifted off the ground. The team was playing better than they ever had. This was it-their chance at the Cup, and after losing to Ravenclaw for three consecutive years, they needed it. Bludgers stayed far away from their team and very, very close to the Ravenclaws. Frank had only let two goals in, compared to the ten the Chasers had scored on their opponents, so Gryffindor was eighty points up. Maia, James, and Jess were trying to get us to 150 points up, so even if Justin got the Snitch before Marlene, they wouldn’t lose. 

“And it’s Potter with the Quaffle, flanked on either side by Diggory and Cattermole, and Ailo is maneuvering to try and get open, but guarded by Edgecombe, and- _ did Potter just drop the Quaffle? _ And I DON’T BELIEVE IT, Potter was beneath him and no one noticed! Did he even see her there? They’ve fazed Ravenclaw, and in all the confusion Potter’s gotten her way off to the goalposts unguarded and GRYFFINDOR SCORES! That’s one hundred-ten to twenty, for Gryffindor, they’re ninety points up! And McKinnon of Gryffindor is diving again, Ravenclaw’s not taking the bait, Edgecombe with the Quaffle, on his way to the goalposts and McKinnon of Ravenclaw is heading into the dive! Could they have really seen the Snitch? He’s coming from a different angle, gaining ground, THEY’RE ABOUT TO CRASH! And-Gryffindor pulls out of the dive, and Ravenclaw goes smashing into the ground, I don’t believe my eyes! You saw it here, folks! THIRTEEN YEAR OLD MARLENE MCKINNON JUST PERFORMED A SUCCESSFUL WRONSKI FEINT! And it’s Diggory with the Quaffle, heading towards Longbottom, dodges a Bludger and two Potters, feints left, and Longbottom takes the bait, RAVENCLAW SCORES! It’s 110-30 for Gryffindor folks, Ailo with the Quaffle, nearly misses a bludger, flanked by Edgecombe and Cattermole, pulls up and outmaneuvers them, she’s off towards the goalposts and-AILO IS HIT BY A BLUDGER, Cattermole in possession of the Quaffle, she’s falling down-nice catch, Professor Slughorn! She hits the ground lightly, all because of Professor Slughorn-someone’s getting Madame Pomfrey-”

“MADISON! RAVENCLAW JUST SCORED! The match, please?”  
“Oh, yes, sorry professor, Ravenclaw scores, 110-40 for Gryffindor, Potter in possession, Potter and Potter doing some of the weirdest maneuvers that I have ever seen. I don’t think those are real Quidditch moves, but they sure are effective! McKinnon is back in the game now, he’s alright and-oh that was _very _weird of the Potters! Ravenclaw is too confused to defend, and GRYFFINDOR SCORES! 120-40, Gryffindor! Diggory in possession and-oh, no-Potter in possession, other Potter, other Potter, other Potter, other-you know what? The Potter twins are passing the ball back and forth and GRYFFINDOR SCORES and McKinnon of Gryffindor is diving again and Ravenclaw isn’t having any of it-oh yes, I do believe he’s actually rolling his eyes, oh, he’s looking confused, now panicked, and he’s diving, but it’s no use, there’s no way he’s catching up and MCKINNON CATCHES THE SNITCH! THAT’S 150 POINTS AWARDED TO GRYFFINDOR HOUSE, AND THE GAME IS OVER! GRYFFINDOR WINS, 270 TO 40!”

For the first time since they had been at Hogwarts, Gryffindor won the House Cup. Hufflepuff had been leading all year, but with the points from the Quidditch Cup, Gryffindor had just pulled through. If the post-Quidditch party had been huge, it was nothing compared to the celebrations after they won the House Cup. There were graduating seventh years who hadn’t won since they were twelves, first years basking in the success of their new house, and everyone in between, having finally restored Gryffindor to its former glory.

**FOURTH YEAR**

_ PLEASE NOTE THAT MR. SIRIUS BLACK IS NOT ALLOWED TO: _

  * __Magically glue a beret to the caretaker’s cat’s head __
  * _Magically glue a beret to the caretaker’s head_
  * _Challenge Professor McGonagall to a duel at dawn_
  * _Charm people’s hair pink, blue, or green (note: the use of Fleamont Potter’s potions to dye hair is also unacceptable)_
  * _Perform a ceremonial burial at dawn for rat intestine, newt tails, raven wings, and all other animal parts used in potions_
  * _Reenact the Tales of Beetle the Bard on Hogwarts Grounds _
  * _Reenact the Tales of Beetle the Bard within fifteen kilometres of Hogwarts Grounds_
  * _Call Lily Evans “Carrots”, “Lilykins” “Spawn of Morgana” “Jesus” “Lilyflower” “Gollum” “Love of our Meagre Lives”_
  * _Charm Severus Snape’s robes to be see-through_
  * _Wear eye patches in commemoration of a recently deceased pirate_
  * _Even if that dead pirate is apparently a recently deceased relative_
  * _Pay lost bets with Ravenclaws with leprechaun gold_
  * _Turn all desks and chairs away from the front of the classroom for a whole History of Magic lesson just to see if Professor Binns notices anything_
  * _Turn all desks and chairs away from the front of the classroom for any amount of time just to see if Professor Binns notices anything_
  * _Label ingredients in the Potion’s supply cupboard as “deadly weapons of war”_
  * _Replace the Slytherin dining table’s benches with high chairs_
  * _Call Professor Slughorn “Uncle Slug”_
  * _Call Professor Dumbledore “Dad”_
  * _Call Professor McGonagall “Mum”_
  * _Call Madame Pomfrey “Auntie Pommers”_
  * _Serenade the Minister for Magic with a original song while wearing ceremonial dress robes_
  * _Introduce new awards just so that he can present one to Peter Pettigrew just for “being a jolly good, spiffing, awfully excellent gentleman”_
  * _Hex students who do not call James Potter Princess James or Your Highness, Your Lordship, etc. while he is wearing tassels from the tip of his hat._
  * _Tell first years that the only way to get Peeves to stop annoying them is to sing the song “I want to Polter-kiss you”_
  * _List Merlin as his legal guardian on his Hogsmeade permission form_
  * _Talk about failed executions in front of Nearly Headless Nick_
  * _Sing potentially offending lyrics at Quidditch matches_
  * _ Visit the restricted section with a permission slip from “legal guardian” (see #25)_
  * _Ask Professor Dumbledore if he’s really Gandalf in disguise_
  * _Decorate the entire school with pictures of his own face on his birthday_
  * _Make twenty minute toasts to Remus Lupin every night before dinner_
  * _Bribe anyone with money, lap dances, and/or muggle explosives_
  * _Purposefully anger a Hufflepuff whose best friend is a Slytherin just to see if it’s true that Slytherins can turn into snakes if someone annoys them_
  * _Start a republic_
  * _Full Roman battle attire is not appropriate uniform attire_
  * _Neither is muggle disco outfits_

In mid-October, the school went into a frenzy. A second year Muggleborn Hufflepuff named Alison had been attacked. A couple prefects on patrol found her on the ground, shaking, and Madame Pomfrey suspected the use of the Cruciatus Curse. When Professor Sidon, the Arithmancy professor and Head of Hufflepuff, had asked her what had happened, she could only muster one word- “Mudblood”.

While no one knew who had done it, one thing was abundantly clear. They could no longer trust their fellow students. The war had come to Hogwarts. 


	7. The Pureblood's Curse, Part I

**CHAPTER SEVEN: THE PUREBLOOD’S CURSE, PART 1**

**FOURTH YEAR**

“Professor?”

“Yes, Mr. Black?”  
“You know how to become an Animagus you had to hold a mandrake leaf in your mouth for a whole month?”

“Yes?”

“Well, theoretically speaking, if someone who was trying to become an Animagus was one day off of one month and then really enjoyed the dessert and accidentally swallowed the leaf would they have to restart the process all over again?”

“Theoretically speaking, yes. Not the entire process but the Mandrake part.” Sirius hit his head on the desk. 

“And er… um-when you were becoming an Animagus was there anything that you took? For-uh-the taste?”  
“Mr. Black, your work, if you please.” Jess stared at him in annoyance. Those stupid boys. They thought they were being subtle. They should maybe have stood on the table and announced that they were trying to become Animagi to the whole Great Hall in case a couple of first years hadn’t caught on yet. 

“It’s really incredibly irresponsible of them” Lily was telling Jess. “They’re only fourteen, and they’ve got nobody teaching them and they might drop dead or get expelled and even if they do it successfully they’ll be sent to Azkaban for being unregistered and you’ve  _ got  _ to stop them-they’re like your brothers-James  _ is  _ your brother, they’ll listen to you!”

“Lily” Jess said tiredly. “I’m just trying to finish my potions essay. So I love you and everything, but please go tell it to Snive-I mean, Severus” Her expression grew cold at her use of the name Snivellus and she left the common room. Jess sighed and shook her head. Keep going at this rate and James wasn’t going to become a prefect next year. He needed to become a prefect because of course Lily was going to be the girl’s prefect and their mum would throw an absolute fit if one of them at least didn’t make it. It would be preferable to her if the two of them were both prefects and then became Head Boy and Girl, but honestly, neither of them were going to make prefects. I mean, he was  _ James _ . His supply list came each year with a list of rules that had to be made specifically because of him. 

Frank Longbottom came walking down, as Jess attempted (not very successfully) to write her essay.

“You realize that there’s practice in five minutes?” She stared at him, then dropped her quill and sprinted up the stairs, pushing past a group of first years trying to get the door handle open, and flying to her dormitory. Kaelie was on her bed.

“What’s got  _ you  _ in such a hurry?” She asked with a sour expression on her face. Jess didn’t respond, and she rolled her eyes. She threw her clothes on in a rush and grabbed her broom, racing out of the room. Then with a thought she stopped and ran back in.

“Alohomora” The window clicked open and she squeezed herself through it, pulling her broom with her out onto the roof. She mounted it and raced off, Kaelie muttering something about Quidditch players. Jess thought that was rather hypocritical of her, given she had tried the last three years to make the team. There had been a tryout this year, just for formality, even though there were no vacancies. To nobody’s surprise, the team remained the same. Most of the people trying out were just there for a laugh and didn’t actually attempt to make it. Kaelie, though, had gone full out and started sobbing when she wasn’t selected for the third year in a row. 

Below Jess, Frank and Benjy Fenwick, a Beater, were chatting on their way down. She swooped down to fly next to them.

“Was that really necessary, Potter?”

“Of course it was”

“Well, she does know how to make an entrance, you can give her that” Fenwick pointed out. Jess winked and dismounted her broom, walking alongside them.

“Our first match this year is against Ravenclaw”. Maia was telling them. “We  _ have  _ to beat them. It’s going to be trickier this year. For years, Ravenclaw was relying on Justin McKinnon to win them every game and the cup. They didn’t have a strong team all round, which was their problem. When we brought out Marlene, they didn’t have a chance, because we have a great Quidditch player in every position, not just one. But they’ve realized that, and they’ve learned from that. Diggory graduated, as did Edgecombe, and Cattermole was kicked off the team. They’ve got a whole new set of chasers. They’re pretty good. Lovegood, he’s a seventh year. He’s very, very odd. I would’ve thought he’d’ve been too distracted by the clouds and invisible air creatures to play, but he’s actually decent. Then there’s Loksdale. She’s only a second year but I helped out with one of their flying lessons last year and she’s brilliant. Rumoured to be a direct descendant of Rowena Ravenclaw. Marvil is a fifth year. He’s pretty rough but he’s a good player. Just stay out of his way if you have the Quaffle because he’s very aggressive. McKinnon’s putting forwards a strong front this year. But we know how to work together, we’re experienced, we can see each other’s moves before they even know them. That’s our power. Marlene, I want you to find out as much as you can about the team, what their strengths and weaknesses are without him getting suspicious. And  _ I did not put you up to it _ , unless you want your captain in trouble with McGonagall and possibly on a Quidditch ban. ”

As they practiced, a Ravenclaw girl came trudging down from the school and seated herself in the stands. Maia called the team to the ground.

“Ravenclaw”. 

“It’s nothing”. Marlene rolled her eyes. “Meredith Roberts. She fancies James”. James ran his hand through his hair. 

“Which is why she’s the perfect spy. McKinnon sends her, she has a plausible excuse to be here”. 

“Hey!” Jess felt oddly offended on behalf of her best friend’s brother. “Justin doesn’t play dirty”. Maia gave her a long look. 

“So you’re willing to completely vouch for her?”

“Well, I don’t know, if she is a spy its on her own behalf! Justin wouldn’t’ve sent her”. 

“Alright, someone get rid of her”. James started when he noticed the whole team looking at him. 

“Wait a minute! I’m not doing it!”

“Uh, yes you are”. Maia told him.

“No, please, just let her stay, it’s fine!” 

“Shut up Potter, she’ll get over it. No Ravenclaws on my Quidditch Pitch while we prepare for a game against them, I don’t care how much you like her”. James shot a last pleading look at the team, then hopped on his broom to tell Meredith the bad news.

“Oh poor, anguished Jamesie”. Marlene muttered.

A few months later in divination, Jess and Marlene sat at the table trying to read each other’s palms. 

“There’s a break in your lifeline”. Marlene muttered, flipping wildly through her textbook. “It doesn’t say anything about that! Why doesn’t it say anything about that?” Jess shrugged.

“Maybe I’ll become briefly immortal”

“Briefly immortal? What does that even mean?” Marlene outstretched her own hand. 

“I don’t know, could mean anything. Is there a cure for vampirism? Cause maybe I’ll become a vampire and then a not-vampire”

“Shut up and read my palm”.

“Ok, ok, it says here that you’ll-ah-” Jess flipped a few pages in her textbook. “Oh, well that’s not good. Live a life abruptly cut short…”

At the table next to them, Sirius and James were staring at each other’s hands, making dramatic declarations based on absolutely nothing.

“Wow, James, Head Auror! And you’ll grow very old and have eleven children and forty grandchildren and watch all of them graduate Hogwarts”. James grinned.

“Looks like you won’t have any kids of your own, but look at this! You’ll have eleven godchildren! And girls, all the girls that you can imagine, every day of your life, which will unfortunately be tragically ended by a very large marshmallow”. Professor Griatus, irritated by their blatant lack of effort, threw her hand on the table and demanded they read her palm. The whole class turned, interested, and listened as Sirius and James slowly picked out characteristics and found them in the book.

“What is  _ that _ ?”

“I’ve never seen anything like it before”.

“Look in the book!”

“You don’t think it could be…”

“No way. That’s a myth!”  
“Well look at her lifeline!”  
“Oh my God. Should we ask?”

“We gotta ask”.

“Erm, Professor?”

“What?” She snapped.

“Are you… by any chance a pureblood?” She narrowed her eyes.

“I am, why?”

“Well it says here that… well… Sirius, help me out here!”

“Nah. You’re doing great”.

“Well, um, the book says you have the Pureblood’s Curse”. The class exploded with whispers. The Pureblood’s Curse? It couldn’t be real, could it?  
“The Pureblood’s Curse is _legend_, Potter. It is in the book for historical purposes, but it is nothing more than a story. I expect better from fourth-year students”. She stormed back to her desk, but the class did not settle down, until one especially brave soul timidly raised her hand.

“Professor?”

“What?” 

“Um… what’s the Pureblood’s Curse?” Professor Griatus gave a deep sigh.

“The Pureblood’s Curse is an ancient legend. The story says that Morgan le Fay, or more commonly known as Morgana, was a Muggleborn. She was raised by her Muggle mother in a deeply religious century, when even Muggles were burned as witches, and magic was feared as an abomination against God. At six, the Muggles in her village tried to burn her at the stake, but a fortunate occurence of accidental magic saved her life, and she was abandoned in the forest to die. There, she was raised by wolves and eventually attended Hogwarts. Her enrollment as a student here is the only true fact of this story. It so goes that Morgana was excited to enter the wizarding world, where she would no longer be shunned for her abilities. However, it was also a century in which blood supremacy ran rampant. As Muggles were so happily burning witches, it fostered a great resentment of their entire society, and most Muggleborns were killed at the first sign of accidental magic. Very few Muggleborns reached Hogwarts, so Morgana found herself once again alone. You can imagine how isolated Morgana must have felt, despised my Muggles and wizardkind alike. When a pureblood Seer correctly predicted Morgana’s eventual defeat to Merlin, a pureblood himself, she flew into a rage and placed a curse not only on that Seer but any pureblood Seer who predicts harm to fall upon a Muggleborn. It is now said that any pureblood Seer who does so is marked with the Pureblood’s Curse by a mark on their hand, which Mr. Potter and Mr. Black here mistook my scar for. It’s nonsense, all of it, and the Seers who were rumoured to have died from it are proven to have other causes of death. Now, if we could return to the lesson…”

In the Great Hall, James and Sirius were still insisting to anyone who’d listen that Professor Griatus would die in six days, on the fourth of December. Most students laughed at them, which they were not used to and took to very poorly.

“Guys. Pureblood Seers predict stuff like that all the time, and nothing happens”

“But maybe they’re not truly Pureblood! Maybe somewhere, a thousand years back they have an ancestor with a Muggle great great grandparent or something”.

“Then no one’s Pureblood, if you’re that picky”.

“But  _ maybe she is _ ”.

“You guys are idiots”. Jess paused. “I can smell your mandrake leaf from here, James”.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about”. He said, very quickly.

“Yes you do. Everybody does. It’s half the reason Meredith Roberts broke up with you!”

“Pretty sure she broke up with me because of the Hogsmeade incident, actually”.

“Yeah, well, the mandrake was a factor”.

“Still don’t know what you’re talking about”.

“ _ Whatever _ . You guys can do whatever you want, just be a little more subtle about it. You’re going to be in so much trouble if you keep being so blatant. How are you planning on fighting You-Know-Who from Azkaban?” Sirius grinned.

“I’m gonna take out all of his captured supporters. Pick em off, one by one”. Jess hit him on the head with her book.

“ _ Sirius! _ ”

“Alright, alright, I promise I won’t go to Azkaban”.

“You better not, Black”.


	8. The Pureblood's Curse, Part 2

**CHAPTER EIGHT: THE PUREBLOOD’S CURSE, PART 2**

**FOURTH YEAR**

Almost a week later, Jess was late for potions.

“Miss Potter, how good of you to join us”.

“Sorry, Professor!”  
“Never mind, never mind,” Slughorn idly waved his hand. “Just don’t be late to dinner tonight, yes?” 

“Wouldn’t dream of it”.

“Good. You can join Miss Evans and Mr. Snape over there”. Great. A whole class working with Severus Snape was amongst the worst things that Jess could imagine, and judging by the look on Snape’s face, the feeling was mutual. No one looked more perturbed than Lily though, who seemed to be dreading having to mediate two of her closest friends, who despised each other. Jess sighed and pulled up a chair.

“Hullo Lil’. Snape”. The boy nodded curtly.

“We’re making girding potions”, Lily told her. Jess flipped open her textbook.

  * _Add one set of fairy wings._
  * Heat until the potion turns turquoise.
  * Add one measure of doxy eggs.
  * Heat until the potion turns pink.
  * Add the toasted dragonfly thoraxes until the potion turns red.
  * Heat until the potion turns blue.
  * Add toasted dragonfly thoraxes until the potion turns silver.
  * Heat the potion until it turns red.
  * Add three measures of doxy eggs.
  * Add some dragonfly thoraxes.
  * Heat the potion until it turns blue.
  * Add three flying seahorses.
  * Heat until the potion turns green

Jess glanced over to where Lily and Snape had already selected a set of fairy wings.

“Are those Irish?” She asked mildly, trying to be polite as she didn’t know which student had picked them.

“Yes”. Snape spat.

“Why? Do you think we should be using another type? The book doesn’t say, but Sev says we should use them since they mix well with doxy eggs”. So it had been Snape’s choice! Good. Jess knew better, but she hadn’t wanted to criticize Lily.

“They do, but flying seahorses are the key component of this potion, and they’re pretty fickle. It’s more important to make sure the doxy eggs don’t mix poorly with the flying seahorses than to make sure they mix well with the fairy wings, and doxy egg-seahorse mishaps are pretty common. So we should use Indian fairy wings”. Snape scowled.

“Well I’m sorry, but we don’t all have the Potter family fortune to blow on Indian fairy wings for every girding potion”. Jess smiled tightly.

“Well isn’t it lucky that this a potions class, and none of the ingredients come out of our own pocket”. She raised her hand. “Professor Slughorn?”

“Yes?”

“Well it seems to me that to get the best results from our potion, we need Indian fairy wings, to balance the equation between the flying seahorses and the doxy eggs”.

“Right you are, Miss Potter. Of course, the potion would work with Irish fairy wings, but it’ll be better with Indian and the best must have the best!” He looked fondly at them, though Jess looked smug, Snape angry, and Lily merely uncomfortable. “And you three are the best!”

Slughorn bustled off and returned with a jar, and the remainder of the class passed in relative silence, save small disagreements about other semantics. Lily quickly gave up on any attempts to start a conversation. Whenever there was a disagreement, Jess was most often right. It wasn’t that Lily or Snape were bad at potions; they were both actually quite good. But Jess was a  _ Potter _ . She had grown up at a cauldron, the same way Marlene had grown up on a broomstick (oh, how jealous she had always been of Marlene, until now, when she could use her skills to show up Snape). She had known elementary potions safety as soon as she could talk, and spent most of her childhood memorizing tiny details, like when you should use Indian vs. Irish fairy wings. 

Snape liked to go off the book, which was one of the things Jess agreed with him on. The best results were never reaped from doing exactly as instructed. Every once and a while they would refer back to the general instructions, but never bothered to read the paragraph at the top or bottom of the page. After adding the final three dragonfly thoraxes, the three agreed that it would be beneficial to stir the potion, which Snape took upon himself to do. Jess doodled in her textbook, watching him stir through the corner of her eye.

In her peripheral vision, she saw his hand rotating counter-clockwise around the cauldron. He stirred six times, and was making no move to slow down. It took her a split second to realize.

“EXPELLIARMUS!” The utensil flew out of his hand, and he turned to gape at her.

“What the FUCK, Potter!?” The class turned to stare at their table, as Snape brandished his wand. Defeated, Lily sunk her head into her hands. 

“Wands  _ away”.  _ Slughorn reprimanded. “What’s the problem?”

“I just saved a lot of lives, Professor”  
“Liar!” Snape cried. “She disarmed me for no reason! That’s a duelling move! She attacked me-”

“-I did not attack you-”

“-you did-”

“-did not-”  
“-you’re crazy-”

“-I DID NOT-”

“-she’s crazy, profes-”

“Silence!” They both fell quiet at Slughorn’s unusual intensity.

“Miss Potter. Explain why you disarmed him”.

“He was stirring our potion, and he had stirred counter-clockwise six times, and he was going to do it a seventh and I didn’t see any other option!”

“Mr. Snape, is this true?”

“What? I don’t know! I was stirring counterclockwise, I have no idea how many times I stirred!” Slughorn nodded carefully.

“Excellent catch, Miss Potter. 30 points to Gryffindor”.

“WHAT?” Snape yelled. 

“Can anyone enlighten Mr. Snape on the consequences of a seventh counter-clockwise stir, in a potion with both dragonfly thoraxes and flying seahorses?”

“Ka-pow,” James said, mimicking an explosion with his hands.

“Yes. In simple terms, ‘ka-pow’, as the warning in the textbook clearly states,” He jabbed a pudgy finger down at the lines on the top of the page, which Lily, Jess, and Snape had all ignored. “Mr. Snape, fifteen points from Slytherin and you’ll serve three detentions with me for disregarding safety instructions and use of inappropriate language”. Jess went through the rest of the day with a skip in her step.

For the meeting of the Slug Club that night, Jess finally consented to use her dad’s Sleekeazy Hair Potion, which rid her of the two inches of frizz that constantly plagued her, but also straightened her curls. She got ready with Lily and Marlene. Lily had only been invited to the Slug Club starting last year, whereas Marlene had received her invite on the first day of first year, and the Potters a few months later, both of which were far more due to family names than any special talent. Though he had been invited for four years, James was yet to attend a meeting, as he refused to until his best friends were also issued invites. Slughorn was yet to cave. 

Marlene, Jess, and Lily joined Gryffindors from other years in the common room, and as a group they strode through the halls to their dinner. Upon arrival, Marlene and Jess sat down with Alice and Frank, while Lily quietly slipped away with Snape.

“Frank! Jessie! Mar! My favourite Quidditch players!” Justin McKinnon’s jovial voice was heard behind them. “And Alice, of course. My favourite… uh… prefect! My favourite prefect!” He slipped in a chair next to Frank, a close friend of his, and Alice smiled softly. Jess fixed him with a look.

“My name is  _ not _ Jessie”. 

“It’s a nickname, Jessie. They’re marks of affection. You might not be familiar”.

“Oh shut up”. 

“Whatever you say, Je-”

“- _ don’t _ ”. Justin grinned, but shut up, asking Alice a few polite questions about O.W.L.s and then falling into a conversation with Frank about something or other. 

Overall, Jess had a pleasant evening. It was always nice to be able to catch up with Justin, whom she knew quite well from weeks spent at the McKinnon’s summer home, but never spoke with otherwise. The dinner itself was more enjoyable than usual, as Slughorn was still angry with Snape from potions earlier that day, and Regulus Black was mysteriously not in attendance. 

Jess hated Regulus! She despised him on Sirius’ behalf. Sirius himself did not hate his little brother, but Jess felt Sirius was blinded by some loyalty that Regulus had done nothing to earn, and as such had resolved to hate him double, for both of them. Regulus was… well, she didn’t quite know how to describe his relation to her, quite frankly because she didn’t know how to describe Sirius’ relation to her. Sirius was by no means her closest friend, and yet he was more than a friend, more like family, for reasons she couldn’t quite explain. And that made Regulus… in simplest terms, her brother’s brother’s brother. Sirius was hyperinclined to forgive his brother all his wrongdoings, even against Sirius himself, which Regulus knew and consistently took advantage of, awakening within Jess a fierce protectiveness. It was her personal mission (and James’ too, he had admitted only once, in the middle of the night,) to keep Regulus as far away from Sirius as she possibly could. Anyways, the Slug Club was a much pleasanter place without him. 

Jess went to bed that night calm and content in Gryffindor Tower. She awoke to school-wide panic. Professor Griatus had been found dead in the Divination Rooms. The date was December fourth.


	9. TOO BLOODY LOUD

**CHAPTER 9: TOO BLOODY LOUD**

**FOURTH YEAR**

The whole school was in uproar. No one knew the cause of Professor Griatus’ death, and if the staff did they were purposely keeping it quiet. James and Sirius had been summoned to Dumbledore’s office. Jess, Remus, Regulus, and most of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team stood in tense silence outside Professor McGonagall’s office. 

The door swung open, and Peter scurried out, looking mildly terrified. 

“Miss Potter?” McGonagall asked, and Jess took a breath and walked in. “Have a seat”. She did so. “Miss Potter, I would like to ask you a few questions about your brother and Sirius Black”.

“Professor, you couldn’t possibly believe that they’re somehow responsible for this!”

“This conversation is not about my own beliefs,” McGonagall stated, but her tone told Jess that no, of course she didn’t believe her fourteen year old students had comitted a murder. “Your brother and Mr. Black have a track record of going to extreme lengths for attention. How far do you think they’d be willing to go?”

“They wouldn’t kill someone, Professor. This whole investigation is absurd”.

“Six days ago they pronounced Professor Griatus’ death would occur today. To your knowledge, have either Mr. Potter or Mr. Black shown any sign of the Sight prior to this?”  
“I… well, no”.

“I seem to remember them both scorning Divination in my classes on several occasions, and it thus seems safe to assume they have little faith in the subject, is that an accurate assessment?”

“Well yes, they’re… skeptical”.

“And yet despite not believing in divination, they were absolutely certain that Professor Griatus would die today”. Jess shrugged. 

“I can’t explain it. I don’t know Legilimency”. 

“Their proclamation was a great source of amusement amongst the student body, is that correct?”

“Yes”.

“Mr. Potter and Mr. Black, for all their love of pranks, have very little experience with being themselves humiliated. You stated that attention would not be a sufficient motive for such a crime. But what about pride? If they believed this was the only way to keep their dignity?” Jess fell silent. It was impossible, wasn’t it? But the look on their faces, in the Great Hall as the school laughed at their expense, it was murderous. Her father’s voice rang through her mind, calm and clear. 

‘This is war, children. War changes people. You must trust no one”. James had fervently disagreed. Trust was necessary! Trust would save them all.

‘Trust will be your downfall’. Fleamont Potter had never before been so solemn. Scowling, James had left the room.

‘What about Dumbledore?’ Her father grinned.

‘Except Dumbledore, of course’. Her mother had not smiled, still staring at the seat which James had vacated. 

‘He is soft. It hinders him from seeing the fickleness of human nature. Either the war will teach him or the war will kill him’.

‘Oh,’ 

‘You’re stronger than he is’. Jess had been taken aback. Euphemia was a wonderful mother, but she had a favourite, in the tiniest, deepest part of her heart, although she would never admit it, even to herself, as all parents do. And Jess had known this all her life, innately, as all less-loved children do. ‘Because of your strength you lack his compassion’. There it is! She had thought, almost triumphantly. ‘But compassion cannot keep someone alive. If I only have one child to survive this war, it will be you’.

‘Oh,’ Jess had said. ‘Oh’.

‘Trust no one, Jess. And perhaps you’ll survive’.

Jess was still staring at the ground in Professor McGonagall’s office, and apparently her silence had been so long it had been telling, because McGonagall had moved to the door.

“That will be all, Miss Potter”. 

“Wait, what? No-Professor-they didn’t they couldn’t’ve-” Professor McGonagall swung open the door. 

“Mr. Lupin?” Remus walked in meeting her eyes in a way that was calmly accusatory. Jess felt she deserved it. 

“What happened?” Marlene asked. “What’d they ask you?” Jess did not respond, and continued to walk numbly past, wandering aimlessly through Hogwarts’ Halls. Five minutes! She hadn’t been able to defend James and Sirius for five tiny minutes and now they would be expelled, or thrown in Azkaban, or-

But none of Jess’ dark predictions ended up coming true, because there was no evidence that James and Sirius had done anything. So by the end of the day, the two had been released from Dumbledore’s office, entirely indignant that they had ever been suspected at all.

“Nobody knows that you were, though, except for us and the Quidditch team”. Remus offered, then added, as an afterthought- “And Regulus”.

“Yeah!” Peter piped up. “And we all defended you!” Remus’ eyes met Jess’ as if daring her to agree with Peter.

“But we have an amazing idea for our group name now!” Sirius said excitedly. Jess raised her eyebrows.  
“Your group name? You’re kidding right?” James responded in a low voice that was obviously a very poor impression of Dumbledore.

“You understand, of course, with all your marauding, that-”

“-THE MARAUDERERS!” Sirius yelled.

“Keep it down, Black, you wouldn’t want anyone to figure out your top-secret friendship name”

“I’ll have you know the whole school will be calling us the Marauderers, Potter”

“Marauders” Remus corrected. “Just Marauders. Not Marauderers. If it can be Marauders, then I like it”. Jess rolled her eyes. There was no way anyone would ever call them the Marauders, and the four would drop it about it after a few months and remember it just as an embarassing phase.

**FOUR MONTHS LATER**

“I can’t believe everyone is calling them the Marauders” Jess said in disbelief to Lily, who was writing notes out of a textbook beneath a tree on the grounds. 

“And they’re  _ so  _ obsessed with it! Every time anybody says the word Marauders, they just-AH!” She jumped as Sirius appeared from behind a bush.

“You called?”

“Go away, Black”. Lily said coldly. She was still angry with “the Marauders” for their latest prank: as was Jess, actually, and most of the school. Everyone enjoyed a good practical joke, but charming an eleven-year-old’s mouth shut for being “too bloody loud” was out of line. 

“Fine”. Sirius pouted. “I don’t need you anyways Evans”. He left, back to where he and his friends were presumably hanging out, just as Marlene ran up, from the castle. 

“I’ve just been in the library,” she said breathlessly.

“The  _ library _ ?” Lily exclaimed in mock surprise.

“I didn’t know you knew such a place existed!” added Jess.

“Has the great Marlene McKinnon really been  _ studying _ ?”

“Oh my!”

“Oh no!”  
“The end of times is upon us!”

“We’re doomed!”

“Shut  _ up _ ! Can I finish? I had a brilliant idea!”

“You thought of an idea?”

“Yes?”

“Oh Lily, she’s been thinking!”

“Our little Marly, all grown up,  _ thinking _ !”

“Do you two ever shut up?”

“Yeah that’s a no, Lils’ doesn’t even shut up in her sleep”.

“I do so!”

“You do  _ not _ ” Jess told her, and Marlene grinned, happy the tables had turned.

“Potter and Black, think they’re so great!”

“With their stupid hair and their stupid name!”  
“The Marauders! How immature, a _group name_!”

“Shut it or I’ll hex you, Black!”

“Fine. Sev, come on, let’s go!” Lily crossed her arms, and looked like she was trying very hard not to stamp her foot, which she had been so fond of when they were younger.

“I don’t talk about the Marauders in my sleep!”

“Not most of the time, but you definitely do”. Suddenly, they heard James’ voice from behind them.

“You talk about us in your sleep, Evans?” He asked interestedly.

“No I don’t!”

“Yes she does” said Jess and Marlene, in sync.

“Ugh!” Now she really did stamp her foot in frustration. “Why are you even here, Potter?”

“You did call”

“The use of the word Marauder is NOT an open invitation to join any conversation!” He shrugged.

“Well, I beg to differ”. He slunk away, and finally,  _ finally _ , Marlene was allowed to say her idea. 

That Thursday, the Marauders snuck out into Hogsmeade before dinner, and Jess and her friends spread the message through Gryffindor’s table that there would be a house meeting after dinner. Alice Lewis, now in fifth year and a prefect, stood on a table in the common room.

“Listen up, everybody!” It had to be her to get their attention, because anyone but a prefect who tried to control Gryffindor House would likely smell like a dungbomb for a few weeks. The hum died down. “Thank you. Please put your hands up if you have been the victim of the four fourth year boys who have been calling themselves”-she grimaced-“the Marauders”. Over half of the older students raised their hands. “It’s time we get a little revenge, don’t you think?” There was a rumbling.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Someone called. “Provoking the Marauders?”

“No, but it’ll be funny” There was some concerned chatter. Jess jumped up on the table. 

“Look. We’re not asking you to provoke them yourselves. We’re just looking for some compliance while  _ we _ do. Pretty much, we’re going to be charming everything in the common room to be just a little louder, and then bringing the volume up as time goes on. All we ask is if one of them mentions it to you, say you don’t notice anything different. Oh, and if you’re trying to study in the next while, I’d recommend the library”. Alice nodded.

“Can we count on you all to help us?” There was a general positive response. “Thank you!”

“Good!” Marlene yelled. “Cause if you tell them, we hex you!”

“ _ Marlene _ !” Alice hissed. 

“Alice does not endorse that message because she is a prefect, but the rest of us will hex you!” She amended to the crowd, and a few people laughed. Eventually, the crowds dispersed and by midnight only Jess, Lily, Marlene, Alice and another fifth year, Mary MacDonald, were left. They spent the hours talking and laughing while pretending to themselves that they were doing their homework, until it was finally the moment. They divided the Common Room up into fifths and charmed each and every item to be just a little louder. The chairs creaked a little more when they were sat in, the fire crackled louder, even the sound of quills scratching on parchment was increased just a little. An hour ticked by, and then finally four evidently drunk Marauders stumbled through the portrait hole, which slammed shut slightly louder than normal. Sirius collapsed into a chair, which creaked, loudly.

“Oh, hey, Carrots”. Lily fixed him with a stern look.

“Does everything seem to be a bit…” James waved his hands around his ears wildly. “Buzzing?”

“You’re drunk”. Mary laughed.

“I am not!” He knocked over a chair.

**TWO MONTHS LATER**

“Jess, I need to talk to you” James said seriously.

“What is it?”

“You seriously haven’t noticed that the common room is loud?” It was, it really was. No one could bear to study there anymore, and god forbid the party that had happened after they had won a Quidditch match.

“No! You’ve been asking for months and my answer isn’t going to change! You’re mad!” James looked confused beyond belief, and even slightly scared. Kaelie Toren popped up next to them.

“Ready to go?” She asked. He nodded, and they walked away together. 

As they left, James said, “Have you noticed the Common Room is louder than it used to be?” Jess tensed. 

“No,” Kaelie said, shrugging. “I haven’t noticed anything”. Jess relaxed. Maybe they could count on Kaelie after all. Not for magic, obviously, and not to be nice, and-where had she been going with this?

On April 16, the Marauders cracked, and all of Gryffindor House was there to see it. It was evening, and the four of them were resolutely attempting to do their homework in the Common Room. Every time the portrait hole opened, or someone shifted their papers or moved a chair, at least one Marauder would scream or fall back into their chair or hit himself on the head. Finally, as a first year climbed down the creaky stairs from the boys’ dormitories, James punched the desk and screamed that he was going to Madame Pomfrey to have his ears checked, before running out of the Common Room. The rest of his friends glanced at each other and then followed him.

In an instant, Jess, Lily, Marlene, Alice, Mary, and a few of the upper-year students who had found it particularly amusing were out of their chairs, performing counter-charms and returning everything to its normal volume. The house audibly breathed a sigh of relief. 

When the Marauders entered the Common Room half an hour later with Madame Pomfrey, they looked like they were on the edge of a mental breakdown. She furrowed her brows and listened, while the house held its breath.

“Everything sounds perfectly normal to me in here, Mr. Potter.” The boys glanced at each other in some kind of stupor. 

“Well it does now-”  
“-but just a second ago-”

“-I swear it was-”

“-for months now-”

“-Madame Pomfrey, we-”

“If that’s all?” They looked at each other and gave hapless shrugs. “Good evening”. She departed. She left the Common Room, and Peter burst into tears. James collapsed onto the ground, Sirius began to hit his head against the wall, and Remus simply slid down the wall until he was seated, looking more drained than he ever had been.

“I am NOT CRAZY!” James wailed, staring up at the ceiling. “I AM NOT CRAZY!” He sat up and looked around him in alarm. “Am I crazy?” Somewhere in the Common Room, a student started clapping, and then the people around them, until finally the Marauders looked around them, stunned, at an applauding Gryffindor House.

In Transfiguration, James slid into the seat next to Jess.

“Kaelie tells me it was  _ you _ !” Jess shrugged.

“Well, I don’t deserve all the credit. It was Marlene and Lily and Alice and Mary too. And it was really Mar’s idea”. A grin spread across his face.

“ _ Brilliant _ !”

“Of course it was, I was involved”. From across the room, Kaelie caught James’ eye and winked at him. He grimaced.

“Nasty irritating, she is”. 

“You  _ are  _ dating her”.

“Only because she’s a good snog”.

“Arsehole”.


	10. Exams

**CHAPTER 10: EXAMS**

**FOURTH YEAR**

Exams were growing near, and Jess slipped into her peculiar routine of studying through the night and catching up on sleep between classes (or instead of them). She rarely saw Alice or Mary anymore, consumed as they were with studying for their O.W.L.s. The only plus side to exams was that she no longer had to worry about whether or not she would beat out James. As the magic had grown more complex, their natural ability had only taken them so far, and while their grades were good, neither had any hope of being top of the class. Lily crushed both of them across the board. In Potions, Jess and James had a stronger knowledge, but Lily’s practical brewing skills, which was what most of their score consisted of, matched theirs. In Transfiguration, James couldn’t be beat. Lily tended to ace Charms, and Jess had a talent for Defense Against the Dark Arts. But when the average of their marks were taken, Lily’s standard was unachievable. So if they weren’t going to be top of the class, it didn’t matter whose marks were 0.01 points better than the other. As long as they were both on the same side of the war, who was the better twin didn’t really matter, anyways.

Lily often hassled Jess for her sleep schedule, but she just couldn’t help it. If she studied in the library in the middle of the day she’d never get anything done, but when she sat by her window at midnight, overlooking the lake and watching owls hunt, notes illuminated by starlight, she was able to learn. 

“You’ve got to stop operating solely on caffiene and not getting any sleep!” She reprimanded. “You’re going to collapse!”

“It’s fine. I can just sleep through History of Magic”. Lily hit her lightly with a roll of parchment, and then yawned. Jess raised an eyebrow.

“Looks like I’m not the only one with a sleep issue”. Marlene slipped beside them at the breakfast table. 

“What’re we talking about?” She asked tiredly, biting into an apple.

“Jess’ idiocy”. Lily said, at the same time that Jess said-

“Lily thinks she’s my mother”. Marlene looked between them, blinked a couple times, and then wordlessly got up to sit with someone else. Lily and Jess continued to bicker about it all the way to Charms. Marlene arrived late, and then, upon hearing the topic of conversation, threw her head down on the table.

“Well I don’t see how it’s really any of your business!”

“You’re going to fail your exams this way!”

“Oh,  _ shut up _ !” Marlene exclaimed, and Flitwick turned around.

“Is there a problem, Miss McKinnon?”

“No, Professor. Sorry”.

“I just don’t understand how your stubbornness is worth more to you than your grades and your future!”  
“I’m only going to fail if I’m not allowed to study the way I need to study!”

“Miss Potter, switch seats with Mr. Black”. Flitwick said sharply. “Miss McKinnon, switch with Mr. Colly”. Marlene threw glares at the other girls and then moved to sit with the Slytherins, while a resentful Aiden Colly sat down with Lily and Sirius. That day, they revised the Summoning spell.

“Accio parchment!” Remus called, and it zoomed towards him before slapping him squarely in the nose and falling to the ground. “Oh, fuck me!” Professor Flitwick whirled around, and Remus immediatley looked aghast. “James, how could you? This is a school!” Flitwick sighed.

“Detention, Potter” Flitwick said sternly, and Jess supressed her laughter. As per usual, Remus had managed to get out of trouble by pinning the blame onto one of the other boys. 

They left the Charms classroom and headed towards their electives, James grumbling under his breath about Remus.

“Oh, shut up Potter!” Lily cried. “You’ve gotten him in trouble enough times over the years, you can handle a detention for him! Stop being such a prat!” She stormed off to join Snape, and the rest of the Slytherins faded away at her arrival. She had been in a mood all day, and interactions with James didn’t seem to help it. There had been a time, when they were younger, when Lily and James had actually been as good of friends as anyone else in the year, but through the years, their relationship had grown more and more strained. Every time he pranked an unwilling victim, or used his popularity to his advantage with the younger students, or was cruel to Snape-which was quite often, not that the greasy slimeball didn’t deserve it-she grew to dislike him more and more.

Their new Divination teacher, Professor Marlo, held James and Sirius in high esteem. They had become something of Divination legends, the fourteen year olds who had ‘proven’ the Pureblood’s Curse. Wizarding academics were still in fervent debate about the incident and correlation vs. causation, and would be for many years to come. But Professor Marlo adored them. It was ridiculous. Whether or not the Pureblood’s Curse existed, James and Sirius were anything but Seers. So when Professor Marlo asked for predictions for the next two weeks, the rest of the class was required to actually go through Divination theory and find probable predictions, whereas Sirius could just say “I will have a lot of Transfiguration homework, because Mars is in Orion, and Professor McGonagall was born under Mars and my dad’s name is Orion” or the like, and Marlo would praise their Inner Eye.

Exams rolled around, and the fourth-years managed to get through Transfiguration, Divination, Arithmancy, Potions, and Care of Magical Creatures before disaster struck. 

From the mangled story Jess had heard whispered in the Gryffindor Common Room as the prefects tried to no avail to get the house under control, Hufflepuff Head Boy Edgar Bones and Ravenclaw prefect Liam Arnolds had been on patrol when they had heard screaming from down a corridor. When they rushed down, they had found Slytherin seventh year Rodolphus Lestrange performing the Cruciatus Curse on a muggleborn first year. When Lestrange saw them, he tried to curse them.

From there, a magnificent duel had taken place, in which Lestrange had successfully stunned Arnolds, leaving Bones as the only one fighting. Lestrange had tried and failed to use the killing curse, but Bones had prevailed, leaving Lestrange bound in ropes. At that point, Bones had oh-so-heroically taken the first year and Arnolds to the hospital wing and brought Lestrange directly to Dumbledore’s office. Jess was pretty sure most of it was bullshit.

But the facts were both Arnolds and the first year were hospitalized, and Rodolphus Lestrange had been expelled from Hogwarts in his very last week. The rest of exams were cancelled, which in later years would seem like a gross overreaction. But the school was in chaos, and everyone was sent home but the fifth and seventh years, who remained to write their O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s. 

It was midnight, and Jess was fast asleep.

“Jess!” She heard her brother hiss. “Get up!” She threw a pillow at him. “ _ Now! _ ” Blearily, she blinked open her eyes.

“Go away”

“Merlin’s Beard, Jess, get up!” He sounded scared, so she swung herself out of bed and followed him downstairs. It was pitch black, and she wondered vaguely if she was in for the pranking of her life. Her train of thought was cut short when they arrived to the sitting room, where by the remains of a fire, Sirius Black was lying on the ground in a pool of his own blood.


End file.
